FC Barcelona - arguably one of the most popular sports teams in the world - has been charged with tax fraud.

The team was indicted on tax fraud charges this week in connection with signing of the Brazil forward Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. The 22 year old forward, known simply as Neymar (yes, like Madonna), was signed to FC Barcelona in May 2013.

Neymar has been highly touted with former forward, über footballer (and fellow Brazilian) Pelé calling him "an excellent player." Even before his move to Barca, he was considered a hot commodity, being ranked by Forbes at #8 of the world's best-paid soccer players in 2013. In anticipation of the World Cup, Neymar has racked up endorsements with Nike, Panasonic, Lupo, Guaraná Antarctica, Santander, Claro, Unilever, Heliar, and Volkswagen.

Neymar made his professional debut on March 7, 2009, at the age of 17. He quickly became a star and the object of speculation about transfers. After admitting that "[t]o play in Europe is my dream," it was clear that the footballer had set his sights on one of the more prominent clubs like Real Madrid or FC Barcelona. Rumors started flying, placing Neymar in Barca as early as 2011. It had been suggested that Neymar would head to Barca after the 2014 World Cup which, not so coincidentally, will be held in Brazil. Neymar initially denied the deal, saying, "I have no agreement with Barcelona or anyone else."

In 2013, Neymar announced what practically everyone already knew: he'd be heading to Europe. In May 2013, Neymar named FC Barcelona as the team he'd be joining - together with superstar Lionel Messi. At the time, details of the detail were scarce.

This week, those details were made public when Spanish tax authorities indicted FC Barcelona on tax charges linked to the signing. Prosecutors accuse the team of fraud in the transaction, referred to as "financial engineering."

The sticking point appears to be payments made to a Brazilian company controlled by Neymar’s father, which prosecutors allege were taxable but disguised as other payments in order to avoid reporting and tax requirements.

The deal is complex and payments were made over a period of years. What everyone seems to agree on is that Barca paid out a total of 86.2 million euros ($118.24 million US) to Neymar's former club (Santos) and others. What isn't quite certain is the identity of those others. It's alleged that payments were made to Neymar's father as commissions and for personal services including marketing, and that the payments made to Santos were considerably less than reported.

Former Santos president Luis Alvaro Oliveira Ribeiro has been quite vocal about the transaction. It's clear whose side he's on, saying about Neymar's father, "[h]e always denied that he had received money from Barcelona, ​​which is a demonstration of lack of character in my opinion unforgivable."

He wasn't the only one who lit into Neymar Senior's character. Delcir Sonda, owner of third-party investor DIS, also criticized Neymar's father, saying, "I'm disgusted by all the sh*t that fell to my company. Neymar's father is a person of very low level. He was in poverty and do not appreciate people who helped his son."

Neymar has defended his father on social media, posting on Instagram, "I am a fan of my father for having brought me where I am today and if he has earned millions with that, well what is the problem? It worked, nothing fell out of the sky.”

While the Spanish taxing authorities allege that it's a Spanish tax matter, Neymar's family appears to disagree. Neymar's father has indicated that any resulting tax consequences of the sale would be addressed in Brazil.

The tax authorities - and the court - appear to disagree. Santos filed court papers demanding to see the actual details of the transaction. FC Barcelona argued against the disclosure and lost. Now, Neymar and FC Barcelona may have to divulge the specifics.

1) The Club’s dealings with respect to this operation, and in light of all information available, was at all times in line with the relevant legal legislation

2) Represented by its lawyers, the Club will appear at the Jutjat Central d’Instrucció number 5 within the next few days in order to defend its interests and rights.

3) We express our total willingness to collaborate with the Justice authorities in this matter, as we have done since the first moment the issue arose and in any other area in which our presence may be required.

Despite the official statement, the club has already taken a hit. FC Barcelona's former president, Sandro Rosell, resigned his position last month after initial accusations of misappropriation of funds related to the deal were made public.

It's the second tax-related scandal to rock the club in recent months. Last year, Spanish prosecutors also accused super star Lionel Messi (and, ironically, his father) of tax fraud.